


a wild combination

by pettigrace



Series: ThallenWeek2015 [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M, Thallenweek2015, Villains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-04-01 12:58:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4020703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pettigrace/pseuds/pettigrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Flash is dealing with a metahuman he may not be able to catch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a wild combination

"God, I _hate_ him.", Barry mutters as Caitlin cleans up the wound on his forehead. "I _know_ he's playing games with me-- he could easily teleport out of Central City but _no_ , he stays here and plays tricks on me!"

He's just come back from a fight with the metahuman that Cisco has decided to call _Jumper_ (although they're currently searching for a new name because none of them knows if that could be a copyright validation or not). He seems to have the same ability as the people in the movie -- teleporting. The Flash is already after him for about four months and while he'd totally win a man-on-man fight because he's just _faster_ in his movements but that doesn't help him because that man can _switch places_ faster than him. His latest injury is from when he's been so frustrated he figured he could just run into him and maybe he'd actually _run into him_. But no, he had jumped away before Flash was even close and he almost ran into a wall, has barely been able to stop and scratched his head on the bricks. 

He really doesn't know why that guy stays in Central, he could jump from city to city and never be caught. Maybe he just enjoys driving the Flash crazy too much to go away. 

"I'm onto it.", Cisco promises. "I'll think of something that stops him from doing his thing, I'm close, it'll be--" 

"I'm sure it'll be amazing.", Barry replies. He doesn't add that he wishes it would be amazing _right_ _now_. 

His eyes dart up to the clock on Caitlin's desk. Ten to seven. 

"Great, because of him I'll be late.", he sighs and gets up. 

"Do you want me to cover it up?", Caitlin asks, pointing at the wound. 

Barry considers it for a moment. "No, till I'm there it'll only be a bruise and then I'll say I bumped into something, he's used to that." 

Cisco grins. "Yeah, because you are the clumsiest person one could imagine."

 

Eddie sighs when he takes off his costume. He places the money he'd just stolen under the second floor of his "artist cupboard" as it's been named by his boyfriend. 

He stands up again, straightens his back. Today the Flash has actually been close to getting him, he hasn't been careful enough-- It kinda sucks that he's stuck in this town. He can't teleport out of Central City, somehow he seems to be connected to the accelerator, jumping is only possible in a twenty miles radius and it's so exhausting that he only ever steals from the same ten shops. He never steals too much, though, he doesn't want to _ruin_ people's lives, he just wants to be able to live _his_ life and as a painter you don't earn much money. But he hasn't learned anything, he hasn't studied and he won't become a _waiter_ or something. Because that doesn't have class. 

He shoots a look at his watch. Almost 7. The fight with the Flash has taken way too long, he still needs to grab some food before his boyfriend arrives.

He sighs and teleports himself near the next Chinese restaurant.

 

Barry knocks at the door and Eddie almost opens it immediately, greeting him with a big smile and short peck on the lips. 

They've been dating for roughly two months and Barry can't help it, he still feels his stomach jump whenever he gets a taste of Eddie's lips. 

"Hm, I've missed you.", Eddie hums as he closes the door behind him. 

"You too.", Barry breathes. "So, what are our plans?" 

"I have prepared the most amazing _romantic_ dinner.", Eddie tells him and steps forward, taking his hands in his own. "And then I was thinking of a movie?" 

"That sounds amazing.", Barry says and kisses him again. 

He feels Eddie's tongue on his lips, parting them and then he takes in his breath. He moans softly when Eddie let's go of his hands and hugs his neck, pulling him closer and Barry feels so safe, he wishes they could stay like this forever. 

Eddie makes them stop, though, and gives him an apologetic yet teasing look. "Food's getting cold.", he says softly. "What's that on your head?", he notices then and let's his thumb stroke over it. 

"Ah, it's nothing.", Barry tells him and closes his hand around Eddie's wrist, leading it away from his head. "I just forget how tall I am sometimes."

 

The accelerator may not be the only thing that keeps Eddie in place. He's thought of trying to leave the town like a normal person - by train or bus or even foot. He hasn't done this yet because then it'd mean coming back anyways. Because he would have to leave Barry behind as well and that's not what he wants. Asking Barry to leave with him is none of options that he has because Barry would never turn his back to the city that owns his entire life, he would never let go of his friends. Eddie can't ask him for that. 

When they'd first run into each other, Eddie had been a loner. He's learnt to live with his condition and then he'd started to _use_ it. He's asked Barry out just for the fun of it.   
Then he'd learned that Barry's working for the CCPD. He'd figured it would be a good cover to date him because who'd suspect a police worker's boyfriend to be a superhuman thief? 

What he hasn't expected is that he'd fall for him. That his brain would stop functioning at the goofy smile. That he could spend hours listening to Barry getting excited over things that he doesn't even remotely understand. But he did. Hard. He might even be in love with him, if you can say that after two months only. 

And now he has another reason for not being caught by the Flash. Not only would he go to prison, but it would ruin Barry's entire career. How should he be supposed to figure out crimes when doesn't even notice that his boyfriend is a criminal? 

He can't let that happen so now he doesn't even stay in the same place as the Flash for too long.

 

"How's your day been?", Eddie mumbles into his side. 

They are lying on the couch, Eddie somehow both beside and on top of him. They're watching one of the new Star Trek movies but Barry almost knows them by heart. 

"Uh. Quite okay, actually.", Barry says. "There's just this one case that been bugging me for months already, but I'll figure that out." 

Sometimes he wishes he could tell Eddie everything. It feels weird not to say that who's bothering him is a thief who can just teleport himself from shop to shop and that he just can't catch him although, _hello_ , he's the fastest man alive, technically speaking. 

But he knows that he can't tell him because that would put him in danger. If Eddie knew he is the Flash, they might come after him. That's already happened with Caitlin, it's happened with Cisco. He can't let it happen with the man he might be in love with, too. 

"Ugh, that sucks.", Eddie replies. "There's no chance that I could help you?" 

Barry shakes his head. "I can't just go around and tell everyone about police work. I mean- you're obviously not _everyone_ but... you know?" 

"Yeah, I get it."

"What have you been up to?", Barry asks, not only to change the topic but because he knows Eddie wanted to visit a few galleries and ask if any of them have submissions. 

To him, Eddie's pictures are stunning. He doesn't think he's ever seen someone draw that realistically before. But Eddie has told him that nowadays barely anyone wants realistic pictures but rather some with a deeper meaning that they could stare at for hours and still not know what it's supposed to tell them. So he doesn't sell much and never for a lot of money, but he gets by. 

"One of the galleries has a exhibition for the topic of 'wild life' and I may be able to paint something for that.", Eddie tells him. He's trying to keep calm but Barry can tell that he's excited about that. 

"That's amazing!", he cries out. "Do you have an idea already?" 

"Not yet. But I'll come up with something."

"You always do.", Barry smiles.

 

It's almost a month later that he's run out of money. And of course, just when he's about to teleport out of the bank he's broken into, _he_ comes in. 

It's really amazing how stubborn the Flash can be. He knows exactly he won't be able to catch him and still he tries it every time. 

He'd almost thrown a joke at him but stopped himself in time. He can't play tricks with his voice. If he'd said anything, Flash could probably easily figure out who he is.

Eddie looks at him for a second, he sees him smile almost triumphantly – and then it hits him. He'd recognized that smile everywhere. Shock creeps up to him, he can't move for the moment. He just stares at him.

 _Barry_ is the Flash. Barry is the _Flash_.

He's still staring at him, he watches him twist around the device in his hands. Barry presses a button and Eddie doesn't know what it's supposed to do, it doesn't do anything-- and he decides it's time to leave. It's the only thing he can do, Barry can't know that it's him, he can't fight Barry, he can't _hurt_ Barry--

He tries to teleport but it doesn't work. He'd wanted to get home, he's got the picture in his mind perfectly, he should be there now. But he isn't. He's still there, in the bank, facing Barry in the Flash suit and _he can't escape_.

 

Barry can't hide how good this feels. Finally he's able to catch this _Jumper_ guy thanks to that little device in his hands. Cisco has finally gotten around to finish working on it, just in time for his next robbing attack. And if he can trust the fact that his opponent is still around, he'd say that it's working.

Now he's got him in place, he can actually _fight_ him. He can finally put him to justice, make him pay for the hours of frustration that he's had to endure because of him.

But when he looks at him, he hesitates. Although most of his face is covered, Barry can tell that the other man is _terrified_. He looks shocked and scared and for a second Barry feels the same because _shit_ , this is his fault.

He shrugs it off, that man is a criminal. He has to fight him, make sure he doesn't continue using his powers for his own good. He takes in a deep breath and just wants to step up to him, when he opens his mouth.

“Barry.”

And Barry stops walking. He knows this voice.


End file.
